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Ghosts and Hells

The underworld in Asian art

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Vengeful or hungry spirits, jungle ghosts and ‘hopping’ vampires... The Asian world of horror is filled with fantastic creatures. The tortures of hell and the undead have traditionally inspired Buddhist painting, however, it is through folktales, adapted to the theatre stage then cinema, that the ghosts of Asia emerged. These spirits often appear to right a wrong, fulfil a destiny interrupted, or simply tell their story. Ghosts and Hells presents an anthology of tales richly illustrated with landmark works, from the early centuries to to ‘pop culture’, and demonstrates that beyond the horror, the arts have allowed the living to forge a relationship with the dead.